The Ice Siren, composed by John Ellis with a libretto by Andy Bragen, is a through-composed hour long musical narrative piece, a “jazz opera” in development. It debuted as part of the Jazz Gallery’s Large Ensemble Composers Series on May 29 and 30, with sets at 9pm and 10:30pm. Dark, funny and surreal, The Ice Siren marks Bragen and Ellis’ second collaboration, the first, Dreamscapes, having premiered at the Jazz Gallery in December 2007.

Performers include John Ellis (saxophone/clarinet), a rising star in the jazz world who’s released five albums as a leader, and played and recorded with dozens of jazz and pop luminaries including Charlie Hunter, Norah Jones, Bilal, and John Pattutucci. Miles Griffith (vocals) was lead male vocalist on Wynton Marsalis’ Pulitzer prize winning jazz oratorio Blood on the Fields. And Gretchen Parlato (vocals), winner of the prestigious Thelonius Monk competition, has recorded with Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, and Lionel Loueke among others.